Developed by the Division of Special Services of the Ypsilanti School District, Michigan between 1962 and 1967, and since implemented in many countries, the High/Scope or Perry Preschool program [1] provides one or two years of part-day educational services and home visits to low-income three- and four-year-old children. The original recipients were low-IQ African American children. The program emphasises intellectual and social development and encourages children to make positive choices, solve problems, and to participate in activities that will further their health and development. Evaluated by randomized controlled trial, results from the initial program were modest in the early years, but lasting effects have been found on adult outcomes such as employment, earnings, and arrests. The program includes strong cost-benefit analysis.
The High/Scope Perry Preschool project is a Blueprints [2] Promising Program.
Links:
[1] http://www.highscope.org/Content.asp?ContentId=63
[2] http://www.colorado.edu/cspv/blueprints/index.html